Chinese 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Gets 230-HP 3.0L Pentastar V-6

Chrysler's Pentastar V-6 is getting downsized -- again. The six-cylinder engine family that was first installed under the hood of a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is now being introduced in China in 3.0-liter V-6 form, for the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2014 Jeep Wrangler.

The 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 is used in everything from the Chrysler 200 (283 hp, 260 lb-ft of torque) to the Ram 1500 (305 hp, 269 lb-ft), while the 2014 Jeep Cherokee offers a 3.2-liter variant that produces 271 hp and 239 lb-ft. As Chrysler notes, the engine family works with front-, all-, or rear-wheel drive, and with six-speed manuals or six-nine-speed automatics.The new 3.0-liter V-6 produces 230 hp at 6350 rpm and 210 lb-ft at 4400 rpm. Built in Michigan, the engine is said to have an intake manifold that features low-rumble tuning. With the 3.2-liter V-6 around, don't expect the 3.0-liter version to show up in a U.S.-spec car anytime soon. The 3.2-liter V-6 will next be featured in Chrysler's upcoming 200 midsize sedan replacement and, as with the 2014 Cherokee, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission to increase EPA-rated efficiency.

If Chrysler are targeting on some 3.0 engine, it will be great news for Chinese wrangler fan. The price will be much cheaper by lower tax. now, for 3.6 one, the retail price is triple of US's. And I highly recommend that Chrysler should use these 3.0 engine on 4door wrangler, because it will attract a lot of family car users.

I wouldn't mind if they wedged it into the Dart, or a similarly sized Alfa Romeo I think those would be good options for the 3.0. It would be really wild to see a Fiat 500L with this engine, like a 500L Abarth a bad-ass minivan. But realistically a well tuned turbo 4 at 1.6L to 2.5L would be more likely steps for Chrysler than just making small displacement NA V6's in the future.

It is for countries in the European Union and China where engines larger then 3000cc get taxed heavier.

Chryslers V6 line up in the next few years will be: 3.2 for midsize and larger FWD vehicles and the 3.6 for RWD vehicles. Maybe a V6 in the Dart SRT. Chrysler will be dropping the 1.4MultiAir and development for a 2.0 turbo is almost complete.

Like others have said, this smaller Pentastar might be a good addition to the Dart. We've downsized cars and engines so much that 4 cylinders are accepted as the standard for small and the so-called "mid-sized" cars like Malibu/Fusion. I like the 3.6 Pentastar I have in my Wrangler but wouldn't want any less power, but in a smaller vehicle like a Dart, it would be fine...better than the 4.

A small, compact and lightweight sportscar/roadster from Dodge/Chrysler. Maybe a miata fighter or how about in the next gen cuda/charger provided they make the damn thing light enough. With a cheaper base engine, they could broaden their base and try to catch 'maro and 'stang in sales. Right now they are getting their butts kicked!

I'm just not sure I see why this engine was produced at all, unless there are insurance reasons for a 3.0l engine similar to the 1.5l restrictions pushing Ford to make a 1.5l version of their EcoBoost I-4. It just seems that with significantly less torque, you'd have to use more gas to keep a big vehicle like that moving on the highway. Similar to how the Toyota Sienna with the 2.7L 4-cyl actually got worse overall gas mileage than the 3.5L V6.

I would like to see it in the US version of the Alfa Romeo roadster, based on the joint venture with Mazda. I would actually like to see a Chrysler or Dodge roadster, but if it showed up in the Dart that would be OK too.

@Stew I like your roadster idea a lot. I think the 3.2 would be better tho at least for a dart, maybe for a Dart SRT6 if they could get more revs and power out of the N/A engine. I think the 3.0 would be a perfect fit for an alfa/dodge/mazda roadster.